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Railways to introduce fuel-efficient multi-genset locomotives

As diesel prices soar, Indian Railways is looking to adopt more fuel-efficient diesel locomotives that could lower fuel consumption by up to 20 per cent.

Indian Railways, the single largest diesel consumer in the country, has had to pay market linked prices for diesel, without any subsidies, since January.

According to an official release, the Indian Railways has undertaken the development of prototype multi-genset locomotives in the medium horse power range with three gensets of 800 Horsed Power (HP) each amounting to a gross horse power of 2400.

The trial of first multi-genset locomotive is already undergoing as a pilot project at Itarsi of Bhopal Division in West Central Railway.

These locos promise to reduce the fuel consumption by about 20 per cent for delivering the same power, the release added.

At present, there are over 500 multi-genset locomotives in the US in the medium HP range and Bombardier has an order or manufacturing 200 multi-genset locomotives for the German state Railways, according to the release.